So generally, there are skills that everyone thinks about when they want to go into any biology field. An iron stomach, good with computers, fast learners, deep thinkers and an drive for natural knowledge.
For marine biology, skills like boating experience, no fear of water, exceptional swimming skills and comfortable around/ handling large aquatic animals are also a plus.
as I said in a previous post, there are other really great skills for an an aspiring marine biologist. Lifeguarding, first aid, scuba, boating licence, are all things that say "Not only do I know how to be safe in and around water, but I would be an asset on a boat in case of an emergency and you don't have to put in the time or money to train me yourself!". Trust me, it's a good thing to 'say' all these things.
But then, there are the skills you picked up in the most random of places that you don't think about putting on a CV but that do actually come in handy in the strangest of ways. And even if you don't advertise them directly to your future employers, once you have miraculously found a job, they will help prove yourself a capable scientist. Which, really, is the goal in life.
Like the last post, I'm going to use myself as an example... because really, that's all I know.
Horseback riding - How to make bouncing not hurt
A long time ago, as a gift, my grandmother bought me a year's worth of horseback riding lessons. I had already participated in a week long day camp at another horse stable the summer before, and I had had a lot of fun. So I was eager to get back on the horse (pun intended) and make it a weekly activity.
I had a total blast. My Dad explained to me later on in life "The lessons weren't about competition or even learning to be a master rider. It was so that in the future you wouldn't be scared of riding a horse." It wasn't about making it a major part of my life, but making sure I never limit my future adventures.
Little did either of us know that it would also help keep my backside happy on the rolling waves. Let me explain.
There is a skill in horseback riding called 'posting'. It's where you move your body almost opposite of the horse's movements while trotting. Trotting is a very bouncy style of movement, and when you just sit on the horse while you trot, it can lead to a very sore bottom at the end of the day. So posting keeps you off the horse at the right moments, so your butt isn't killing (as much) when you're done. It's done by sort of standing up in the stirrups at the right moments.
I have found, while in a small boat on not-so-calm waters, that I am recalling my posting practice while sitting and looking for dolphins. Not that these are monster swells in any sense, but when you're going fast over waves or another boat's wake, you can get bounced about quite a bit. But if you lift yourself up at just the right moment, you don't feel it as badly. I actually found myself doing it unconsciously, and I had to smile a bit as this long lost skill made it's reappearance.
Swing Dancing - Awesome Balance
If there is one thing I love doing almost as much as science, it's swing dancing. I've been at it for almost 3 years now, and it has reshaped my life in all the best ways possible. I am obsessed.
One of the biggest things about swing dancing is balance. Because you are being tossed, twirled and flung around the dance floor, and there are plenty of moves that don't require two feet on the the ground at the same time. Plus the interaction with another person means you have to really be in control of your own body, more so than some other dances.
So while I will not pretend to be an expert dancer, I hold my own and I know that my personal balance has gotten better since I started. I've learned good stances and how to hold my body so that I don't fall over easily.
I think this one is obvious in how it's connected to work on the water. In small vessels, balance is important. Especially is you have to be able to do things on the boat, like take pictures or collect samples. If you can keep your balance in waves or poor boat drivers (cough, me, cough), then you are doing dandy, and things don't have to take forever.
Now I'm not saying I have the best balance on the boat. Obviously people who have spent more time on boats are better acclimated to the exact type of movement, but for someone who has not spent any time on marine waters and have never had to deal with these types of conditions, I think I'm doing pretty well, thanks to swing dancing.
Sleep-away Summer Camp - Living with others
One of the biggest changes for me moving to Florida was living away from my parents, and having to live with people I've never met before. Most of the other interns down here are accustomed to that, as University students usually move away from home at 18, even if they are going to school in the same city as their childhood home. But for me, it was a new experience.
Or was it?
Obviously, having to take of myself completely was new. But living with people in close proximity was not. Sharing a room certainly was not. For my next internship, I'll be living at the research station with everyone else, most likely in a dorm/cabin setting. Definitely not new. And on boats, when you have lots of people in a small amount of space? Piece of cake.
I went to a sleep-away summer camp every summer for 12 years. For 9 of those I was a camper, meaning a shared EVERYTHING with anywhere between 2-12 other girls. Everything. We all slept in a single roomed cabin, ate at the same table, did all our activities together. We changed in front of each other and even showered in front of each other. We had to teach ourselves how to maintain our own spaces and how to be "by ourselves" in a crowded room.
So I'm used to living with other people. I'm especially used to living with people who I might not particularly like. Such is usually the case when many people (particularly girls) are forced to spend lots of time together. But after dealing with it in all the wrong ways growing up, I think I've taught myself how to deal with conflicting personalities in a way that won't cause serious drama and blowouts. Which is key when the people you live with are also your co-workers, and it can be difficult to keep your home and work lives separate.
Teaching Swimming - Communication and Comfortable in the cold
Okay, so other than the complete comfort in the water and the swimming skills, teaching 5 year olds how to blow bubbles does not really have much to do with marine biology.
Except for a couple things, actually.
It's one thing to discover facts about animals, it's another to get those facts out into the world. You can do this in a few ways: write a science article about it in a science journal, so that other scientists can read of your discoveries. But then it's always a good thing to tell the public about it. And kids are our future and what not, so being able to relay serious information to kids in a way they'll understand and remember can be an essential skill to have.
Fortunately, this is a big part of being a swimming instructor, because we don't just teach strokes, we teach water safety. Live saving facts and skills that have the potential to save the kid's life in the future. Heavy stuff.
I've also spent a lot of time standing on a cold pool deck in nothing but a bathing suit and wetsuit, soaking wet and no towel in sight. So being wet and cold is something I am accustomed to. So is spending hours in frigid water.
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This is not to say that now you should go out and do these exact same things. I am sure that you have other experiences through which you have gained similar or different, but still equally as important, skills that will make you a better scientist. What I mean by this post is just to never think your experiences unimportant, because even things that have absolutely nothing to do with marine biology can help you be the best marine biologist you can be.
So bring it on Ocean, me and my bag of random experiences and random skills are ready for anything you can throw at us!
Speak Loud!
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